10 Players Who Have Failed Their Medicals Ahead of Big-Money Transfers

Transfers are now subject to a very rigorous medical regime to check the player has no injuries that will prevent them in the future or fitness issues. Clubs are very reluctant to take a player on when they have failed a medical.

There have been various cases throughout the year where big money moves have been prevented by failed medicals.

10. Radamel Falcao

It is fair to say Radamel Falcao's time in the premier league was not the finest. He had spells at both Manchester United and Chelsea where he played very little football. Unsurprisingly he looked for a move away in January 2015.

It was set that he would return to Monaco for the second half of the season but he remained at Chelsea to see out his loan as when he visited his parent club he failed fitness tests. Falcao has since returned to Monaco and his having a successful season captaining the French side.

9. Nwanku Kanu

Kanu, unlike others, failed a medical after he had signed for a club and played friendly games. He signed from Ajax to Inter Milan in 1996 for a deal worth 4.7m euros.

However, the former Arsenal and Portsmouth player came back from winning Olympic gold with Nigeria to find out he had a serious heart defect and underwent surgery in November 1996. He didn't return to Inter Milan until April 1997.

8. Victor Valdes

After Victor Valdes' long spell at Barcelona came to an end after his contract ran out with in 2014, he signed a pre-contract with the French side Monaco. However, a failed medical from a cruciate ligament injury in his last year at Barcelona, led to the transfer being cancelled.

7. Andrey Arshavin

Andrey arshavin failed his first medical at Arsenal due to the doctors being unsure about a heart-related matter. Asrhavin did pass the medical second time, as his move from Zenit St Petersburg went through with eight seconds left on the transfer deadline day of January 2009.

6. Marko Arnautovic

Marko Arnautovic, the current Stoke City winger, was meant to make his move to England earlier as he due to sign for Chelsea in 2009 from FC Twente.

A failed fitness test due to a fractured foot ruled him out of a £12m move to Stamford Bridge and he took a one-year loan move to Inter Milan instead.

5. John Carew

The injury-prone player John Carew has failed two medicals throughout his career. His first with Fulham in 2002 and the second with inter Milan in 2013.

Carew's Premier League move at 22 was halted by Fulham even after a fee of 7.5m was agreed as they claimed he failed his medical. There were attempts of renegotiation but Valencia refused as they claimed Carew was fully fit.

Furthermore Inter Milan had him on trial in 2013, but claimed his fitness levels were not up to scratch so opted not to sign the 6ft 5inch forward.

4. Loic Remy

Loic Remy joined Liverpool on tour in USA and had been with Brendan Rodgers' side for around a week expecting to complete an £8.5m move from QPR to the Reds.

To the surprise of QPR boss Redknapp and Remy the deal fell through with Liverpool pulling out claiming he failed a medical due to a heart problem.

Harry Redknapp was disgruntled by the failed medical as he claimed "he had a stringent one here, one at Marseille and at Newcastle and with France before the World Cup. You couldn't meet a fitter lad."

3. Demba Ba

The Senegalese striker Demba Ba has not just failed one but two medicals throughout his career. When player for Hoffenheim Demba Ba first failed a medical in a move to Vfb Stuggart and later Ba failed a medical in a proposed move to stoke in 2011.

It left the then-manager Tony Pulis disappointed after they had agreed a £7.1m deal for the striker.

He later went on to sign for West Ham in 2013 and after that he played for Newcastle and Chelsea. At Chelsea he is most remembered for scoring the goal after Steven Gerrard's infamous slip that contributed to Liverpool losing the title.

2. John Hartson

John Hartson failed a medical not once but three times, as he failed medicals at Glasgow Rangers, Tottenham Hotspur and Charlton Athletic.

Hartson failed a proposed £7m move to Tottenham Hotspur in 2000 and the same year was turned away by Glasgow Rangers due to him also failing to pass the fitness tests.

He instead joined rangers rivals Celtic in a £6m deal, where he was extremely successful scoring 100 goals in 150 appearances and winning three league titles.

1. Ruud van Nistlerooy

Before Ruud Van Nistelrooy made his move to Manchester United in 2002, the move nearly didn't happen as a year before the striker failed a medical. This was due to him recovering from a cruciate ligament injury he had sustained playing for PSV Eindhoven.

Luckily he completed his move a year later for a British record fee of £19m. The striker went on to have a successful spell under Sir Alex Ferguson scoring 150 goals in just 219 games for United.

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